Cleaning Up At Newell Rubbermaid

October 2, 2006, 12:00 AM EDT

After several years of disappointing results, Newell Rubbermaid (NWL
) is finally winning the Street's favor. A maker of kitchenware and toys, Newell is "regaining investor confidence as it turns around and gets back to providing consistent returns," says Lee Schultheis, investment chief at Alpha Hedged Strategies Fund, which owns stock. Newell has beaten analysts' forecasts in the past two quarters, he notes, and the stock jumped from 24 in July to 28.29 on Sept. 20. Schultheis expects it to hit 34 in a year, or 17 times his 2007 profit forecast of $2 a share. This year he expects Newell to earn $1.80, up from $1.60 in 2005. Strong results in the first half indicate a turnaround that "should continue in the second half," says Dara Mohsenian of JPMorgan Securities (JPM
), who rates it "overweight." Increased spending on R&D, adverti- sing and new products aided the turnaround, he adds.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, neither the sources cited in Inside Wall Street nor their firms hold positions in the stocks under discussion. Similarly, they have no investment banking or other financial relationships with them.